A long list of local sports heroes and dignitaries was on hand for the Opening Ceremonies for the Pirates Charities Miracle League Field on Saturday, May 16, 2009. And although the skies were threatening most of the day, the clouds cleared and the sun shone bright just as the ceremony began!
The morning’s events began with a moving rendition of “The Miracle League Song,” sung by local country recording artist Sarah Marince. The song’s lyrics, “Baseball is great and I want to play it so much, but it’s hard for me—sometimes it can be too tough” aptly describe the entire reason the Miracle League Field was needed in this area—to provide a field that makes it possible for kids with challenges to play baseball.
If the song wasn’t enough to bring a lump to the throats of the roughly 200 in attendance, then Mike Sherry’s story of how he was inspired to build a Miracle League field certainly must have. Sherry, MLSWPA president, recounted his experience when a parent asked for a special exception for his son to hit off a tee in the manager-pitch league. “No parent should ever have to ask for an exception for their child,” Sherry said. And he introduced Charles Sigmund, the little boy who was his inspiration for building the field.
Pittsburgh Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting spoke about the Pirates Charities commitment to the field. Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who, with his wife Alissa donated $50,000 toward the field, revealed that he had been born with a club foot that was repaired through surgery as a child. He encouraged all the children not to think about the things that might hold them back and to use their new field to enjoy playing the game of baseball despite their challenges.
The highlight of the ceremony was the one-inning demonstration game between the Pirates and the Rays. Aided by celebrity buddies, the players enjoyed playing the inaugural game, while Pittsburgh Pirates announcers Greg Brown, Steve Blass and Tim Neverett called the game and provided color commentary. Always a hit, the Pirate Parrot kept the players and crowd entertained throughout the game with his zany antics.
After the demonstration game, the first real game of the MLSWPA pitted the Pirates against the Rays once again. The stands remained full and the crowd was cheering as the game brought a mixture of smiles and tears to the faces of those who came to celebrate the inaugural event: Smiles from the children playing their first league baseball game, tears of joy from the parents who were able to watch from the bleachers as their children played. Even though the weather was a bit uncooperative, the first four games went off without a hitch and the park was packed with families and friends who stayed to watch the games the whole day. The last game, between the Cardinals and the Marlins, was rained out, but even the showers couldn’t put a damper on the fun and memories of the first day of baseball in the Pirates Charities Miracle League Field.
Photos from Opening Day - Click Photos to Enlarge
The anticipation was strong—but it was hard to tell who was more excited: The players meeting their buddies for the first time, or the buddies meeting their players!
Two sessions of buddy/player “meet and greets” were held on Saturday, May 9, in anticipation of opening day the following week. The “meet and greet” sessions gave the players a chance to get to know their buddies so they would be comfortable playing with them the next week during the games. They also gave the buddies a chance to talk with players and their parents to understand their special needs and learn how to best help their players during the games.
The end result—players and buddies who couldn’t wait until Opening Day to get out on the field together!
